Aldous Stirling
Aldous Stirling, the son of Tristan and Deirdre Stirling, brother of Helen and Claudius, reigned as king of Apicarta for twenty five years. By his wife Laura, he fathered Vormundus and Richard Stirling. Not nearly as effective a politician as he was a warrior, his early reign was plagued by two attempts to usurp the throne in the War of Succession, which he crushed after nearly five years of squabbling. His main goal as king was to expand the Apicartan borders and to reduce the Exekians to the point where they could never rise up against the Apicartans again. Regarded as a cruel, tactless brute, he was hated by his nobles and feared by his subjects. His savage tactics earned him a reputation as a fearsome juggernaut, although many have claimed his reputation overshadowed the reality of his actions. Interestingly, Aldous was also deeply superstitious. He believed twins were cursed, and that the Exekians possessed magical powers. Biography Childhood Aldous was the first child of Prince Tristan and his wife Deirdre Stirling. According to legend he had a twin brother, who was promptly killed by his mother. Deidre was a Dardani, and therefore believed twins are cursed. Regardless, this story may have been fabricated. As a child, Aldous was a troublemaker. Despite his parents' attempts to rein him in, he would steal from others and get into fights. He fathered the first of many illegitimate children when he was just fifteen. Despite the antagonism that would develop between them in later years, Aldous and his brother Claudius were close as youngsters, and would often go hunting together. His relationship with his sister Helen, however, was strained from the start, and he would often threaten her whenever she displeased him. Crowning and War of Succession Aldous was crowned king at the age of twenty-four after King Tristan was assassinated. Almost immediately, Claudius disputed his right to the throne, beginning the War of Succession. Because he was fighting on the defensive, Aldous already had an advantage over his brother. He also had more followers, and was gaining a fearsome reputation due to his treatment of his enemies' families. Among Claudius' supporters was Lord Gavin Zosimus, whom Aldous had once considered a friend and ally. During the Battle of Kirk's Bluff, Aldous and Claudius met on the battlefield. Gavin flung himself in the way of Aldous' sword, taking the fatal blow meant for Claudius, who managed to escape. Aldous took his revenge on the Zosimus family, taking them hostage and destroying their castle. As the estate was burning, Zosimus' daughter Laura attempted to flee, but Aldous chased her down. Believing it was bad luck to kill the children of his enemy, he sought to remedy the situation by wedding her. Laura was separated from her family and taken to Carthmere, where Aldous intended to marry her at the end of the war. Helen, who had appeared to remain neutral, was later revealed to be a spy for Claudius. Aldous made a deal with her, saying that if she told him where Claudius was, he would let them both live. Helen revealed that Claudius was in hiding under the name "William Harding". Soon after Aldous arrived with his soldiers and captured Claudius. However, Aldous did not entirely keep his vows. Claudius was tortured and eventually executed for treason. Helen became Aldous' prisoner, forbidden to marry or leave Castle Vallon (where she was held) without an escort for the rest of her life. The Seven Days' Queen In Aldous' absence, his scheming uncle Sebastian had declared his daughter Frances queen. Aldous returned to the capital with his brother in chains and found Frances sitting on the throne. His cousin willingly gave up the crown and submitted to imprisonment, but pleaded for her life. Sebastian, on the other hand, raised an army and launched an attack meant to break Frances and her husband Zachary Guildford out of prison. The attack failed and Sebastian was captured. All three (along with Claudius) were sentenced to death by Aldous, who was glad to be rid of the last of his enemies. Marriage to Laura Having emerged victorious, Aldous immediately married Laura Zosimus, who was nineteen by that time. Only a few months into their marriage, she began showing signs of pregnancy. Despite her condition, Aldous took her with him as he went to "defend" the southern front from Nechtan and his raiding parties. The Fifth Exekian War had begun. Fifth Exekian War Intending to eradicate the Exekians, Aldous chose to invade their lands during the kluuda, a time when he knew they would be weakened. While camped out near the fortress of Heliobas, Laura fled the bivouac and turned herself over to Kemet, the commander of the fort. She gave birth to Aldous' firstborn son there, and as part of a scheme to halt the invasion, she agreed to give up the baby in exchange for an Exekian child, whom she named John. Aldous was furious when she returned and nearly killed John, but stayed his hand upon learning that his life was tied to that of his own son. The war ended not long after. Furious and in grief, Aldous vowed to forsake Laura's bed and took a mistress, who gave birth to yet another one of his bastards. Nonetheless, Laura soon became pregnant again by Aldous. To the king's delight, Laura bore him another healthy son, Richard. With his legacy secured, Aldous began spending less time with his wife and more time with his mistress, Veronica Franco. As a result, the paternity of Princess Eleanor is questionable to say the least. Later Years After Laura died, Aldous arranged for John to be placed in the fortress of Vallon - continuing to spare John's life for the sake of his firstborn, whom he would never meet. While hunting, he was struck by a stray arrow. The wound was minor, but became infected. He fell into a fever and died in his sleep aged 55. Personality Aldous was known for being a womanizer, and spent most of his life with at least one mistress at his beck and call. His philandering continued throughout his marriage to Laura, as well as after she died. Laura was well aware of his infidelity and accepted it. Of the many women with whom he had romantic liaisons, Aldous rarely maintained lasting relationships. There was only one exception: Veronica Franco, whom he claimed was his one true love. His relationship with his wife Laura was strained. Aldous only married her for her money and good breeding, and believed he had done her a good thing by making her his queen. He didn't understand her, and believed she was being ungrateful and difficult on purpose. After a time he came to realize that she hated being queen and wanted nothing to do with him. Once had an heir he left her alone and enjoyed the company of his mistresses instead. By the time Laura died, they had become husband and wife in name only. Despised by his children, he nonetheless exerted his authority over them as their king and father. He controlled Eleanor's suitors and forbade Richard from marrying Karen Liu, ordering him to wait until a politically viable marriage could be arranged. Though he was chaotic in his national rule, he was a firm believer in tradition when it came to family and marriage, and so refused to allow his children to marry anyone he deemed unworthy. Aldous was a bull in a china shop when it came to politics. His reasoning was that, since he was the king, he made and broke the laws as he saw fit. He played havoc with the Council and crushed those who stood against him. He was also highly aggressive and warlike, believing he was meant for glory in battle. He identified himself as a soldier and preferred action to talk. Scoffing at attempts to maintain peace with the Exekians, whom he viewed as an obstacle to human progress and expansion, he supported their genocide. In his later years, Aldous continued to fight, albeit more often as a general and strategist behind the scenes than on the battlefield. He remained physically active and was in excellent shape up until his death. His legacy is that of an awesome and terrifying juggernaut, a force to be reckoned with that no one dared oppose.Category:Stirling family